Elena loved me. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I heard her say those words over and over. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers gently, kissing her slowly but passionately. When I pulled away, I smirked slightly when I saw that I had left her breathless. "It's about time you said those words," I chuckled.

She laughed a little as she looked up at me. "I'm sorry I took so long," Elena gave me a small smile as she apologized.

"You should be sorry," I smirked.

She pushed me a little and I fell to the bed dramatically. As I did I exclaimed in a whisper, "You pushed me! Why are you so mean to me?"

"Oh don't be so dramatic."

I sat up and pulled her down on top of me. I looked up at her with a pout. "I'm hurt. You made me wait so long to hear you say 'I love you' then when you finally say it, you just push me to the bed. What makes you think you could treat me like this?"

She held a hand over her mouth as she started to laugh. I smiled as she laughed and sat up to pull her hand away, then I kissed her softly.

When I pulled away we were both smiling. I picked her up and moved her up on the bed. I leaned against the headboard as she sat in between my legs, resting against my chest. She took my hands in hers and laced our fingers together as I pressed a kiss to her head.

"What do you think everyone's going to say?" she asked in a soft voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about when they find out about us. What do you think they'll say?"

"Well some girls may cry for the rest of their life knowing that I'm finally spoken for," I grinned.

"Damon…"

"Then there's Judgey the teenage witch who may try and kill me. Oh and Stefan may take out his frustration on a bunny…"

"Damon!" Elena said as she elbowed me in the stomach.

I chuckled and squeezed her hands. "I'm sure they will be happy. They've been waiting for this for months. You just were too stubborn to realize it," I whispered in her ear.

"I know," she whispered. "But it's all okay now. Right?" Elena turned her head to look at me after.

"Right," I smiled at her. I leaned down to kiss her again and I whispered against her lips, "I'm going to take you out on a proper date. You know that, right?"

"Damon you don't have to," she shook her head.

"I don't. I could not take you anywhere, but I want to. We'll go out to dinner," I grinned at her.

"It'd make no sense to argue with you," Elena sighed.

I smirked and poked her nose as I said, "You know me so well."

She grinned and moved to kiss me. As she turned to face me, she yawned loudly. I chuckled and moved over to tuck her in.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked me in a tired voice.

"Tucking your sleepy ass in," I chuckled.

"No," Elena whined. "I need to go to the store."

"The store?" I gave her a weird look. "Elena it's one in the morning."

"I know but I need wipes for Marie and I just remembered that I don't have anymore," she said as rubbed her face.

"Go to sleep and I'll go to the store. The pharmacy is open twenty four hours," I said as I stood up.

"You don't have to go now."

"I'll be fast. I'll run there, buy the wipes, and run right back," I grabbed my boots and slid them on, lacing them up quickly. "Get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed. I watched as she pulled the covers up over herself.

I leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. I whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled.

I smiled back and pulled away to tug my shirt on. I moved out of the room quietly and headed down the stairs. I swung my leather jacket on before exiting the house, taking a deep breath before running off to the pharmacy. I stopped in an alley before walking out calmly. Even though it was late, there were still cars driving around. I didn't want to end up compelling someone. I was too happy for that.

I walked into the pharmacy and looked up at the signs to find the baby things. I finally found it and walked down the aisle, grabbing what I needed quickly. I picked up two packs before heading up to the cashier. As I waited for her to scan the baby wipes, I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and felt nothing but shock.

I found myself looking at a woman with dark skin. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders and her arms were hanging at her sides. Her grey eyes stood out the most. I recognized them instantly.

It was the witch from the bar.

I grabbed my bag and rushed out after throwing a twenty dollar bill onto the counter. My eyes were set on her. I watched her grin before she disappeared outside. I rushed out after her and found myself standing in an empty parking lot.

"Fuck!" I shouted.

"Looking for someone?"

I spun around and saw her standing on the other side of the parking lot. I flashed over to her and grabbed her by the throat, shoving her against the wall.

"Damon, is this the right way to treat me after all I've done for you?" she grinned.

I growled and let her go, but stayed close to her. "I want answers," I said in a low voice.

"What kind of answers?" she asked as she tilted her head in a playful way.

"Don't play with me. I have to get back home to-"

"Elena and the baby, right?"

I paused and took a deep breath, looking at her with dark eyes.

"Walk with me, Damon."

I watched as she pushed herself off the wall and walked past me. I stood in my position, watching her for a little. She turned around and gave me a look, silently telling me to follow her. I found my legs moving as I caught up with her, then we both started to walk along the sidewalk.

It was quiet between us. I was trying to figure out where to begin, but for some reason I couldn't.

"Your mind is filled with questions," she broke the silence. "You have a lot of questions for me."

"Whoa. Aren't you the brightest witch of your age?" I snapped at her. "What's your name anyway? Sabrina?"

"Do you treat all of the witches you meet like this?" she raised an eyebrow at me. "My name is not Sabrina and it isn't Judgey either."

"How'd you know about that?"

"I know everything about you, Damon," she rolled her eyes. "My name is Taylor."

"Alright, Taylor," I said as I stepped in front of her. "If you know everything about me, then you know what questions I want you to answer, so answer them."

"You want to know why you were chosen to have a baby," Taylor said.

"Whoa!" I shouted sarcastically. I clapped my hands as I looked at her, "You are amazing at this!"

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Damon. Others may deal with it but I assure you, I won't. I told you why you were chosen at the bar and that is final."

"You didn't tell me shit at the bar," I growled at her.

"I told you that you were a good person. Don't you remember that?"

"Yes I do but I also remember thinking that you were crazy for thinking that. You know who I am. I'm a vampire. We're not good people. We aren't even people to begin with."

"You may be a vampire and you may have killed people in the past, yet deep down you are still as selfless as you were when you were human. There are many people you would give your life up for and you can't deny that."

"But why me?" I asked her. I sounded desperate but I didn't even care at that point. "Why was I chosen to be a Father? I don't understand that."

"Good people deserve good things, Damon," Taylor said. She slid her hands into the pocket of her jacket as she looked at me. I could practically feel her grey eyes digging into the soul I pretended not to have. "When we choose a vampire to give the fertility potion to, we take a lot into consideration. Their past is number one. As a human you were mistreated. No matter what you did, it was never enough. Then you fell in a love with a girl who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with only to have your life flipped upside down."

I couldn't even come up with a sarcastic remark. I felt myself staring at her, breathing heavily. My eyes were locked on hers, my body stiff.

"You did not want this life. For years you have dealt with things that you didn't want to, helped people that didn't deserve your help, and you spent years looking for someone who never deserved you. You fell in love with Elena and have done nothing but protect her and the ones she's loved."

"I snapped her brother's neck," I interrupted her. My voice was shaking. What the fuck? "I threatened to kill her and her friends on many occasions."

"But at the end of the day, why did you choose not to?" Taylor asked me.

"Because…" I swallowed. "Because I love Elena and I can't stand to see her hurt or upset."

"Exactly," Taylor smiled. "You were chosen because I knew that you would be the perfect Father for a baby. You were chosen because I thought you deserved something good in your life."

She stepped to the side and started to walk. I stayed quiet and continued to follow her as my mind processed all that she had said.

"Deep down you know I'm right, Damon," she spoke in a soft voice.

I nodded my head. I nodded because I agreed with her. Everything she had said was one hundred percent right. I did deserve Marie. I did deserve this.

We walked through Mystic Falls quietly. I had more questions and Taylor was waiting patiently for me to answer her. I knew I had to get back home in case Elena woke up and began to worry, but I couldn't leave yet.

"Is there anything else you want to know, Damon?"

"Marie…" I spoke in a small voice. "Nothing will happen to her right?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"She's not the next doppelganger, is she?" I asked. That had been something I started to worry over recently. I never told Elena because I didn't want to worry her. Instead, I kept my thoughts to myself.

"No," she said instantly.

"Oh thank God," I breathed out. I stopped walking to rub my face. I felt like I could jump up and down as the feeling of relief spread throughout my body.

"Your baby is human, inside and out," Taylor continued to speak. "She will not age at a certain rate. She will not turn into a vampire at a certain age. This isn't Twilight."

"So she's normal?" I smiled a little.

"Marie is completely normal," Taylor smiled back at me. "As she grows older, though, she will begin to grow curious as to why her Father and the people around her never seem to age. I'm sure you and Elena will be able to handle that when the time comes."

I nodded my head. That is something I had thought about too. I didn't know if Elena ever wanted to turn, but it was a huge possibility. If her and I both were vampires, I knew that Marie asking to be like us would be a huge possibility as well.

"I wouldn't worry about her turning right now," Taylor interrupted my thoughts. "Marie is just a baby. You have years, Damon. Enjoy them."

"I will," I nodded my head. "Marie is…"

"The greatest thing to happen to you," she smiled.

"Yeah," I nodded my head. "Her and Elena are the greatest things in my life."

"I'm glad," Taylor said. "I told you great things changes would be coming your way. Not only do you have a baby that you always wanted, but you also have the girl too. You need to stop being so stubborn and listen to people when they tell you things."

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes at her. We both shared a short laugh before I cleared my throat. "I should get home. I don't want Elena to worry."

I looked at her for a little before I whispered, "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'm sure I have some sort of idea," she grinned. "You're very welcome. Take care, Damon."

She turned and started to walk away.

"Taylor!" I shouted after her.

She turned to look at me, waiting for me to speak.

"Will I ever see you again? I'm sure Elena would love to meet you," I said.

"I'll be around," she smiled. "I'll see you later, Damon."

I watched as she walked away, disappearing into the dark night. I stood there for a moment before shaking my head and racing off to the house. I entered as quietly as I had left, leaving my jacket and shoes at the door. I left one package of wipes downstairs and brought one upstairs with me.

As I stepped into the room, I stood in the doorway for a little bit. I watched as Elena laid in bed, her chest moving up and down with each breath she took. She was lying on her back, her head facing the cradle. She had a small smile on her face, which brought a smile to my face.

In the cradle, Marie slept peacefully. She was lying on her stomach with her hand balled in a small fist. She slept with a small smile on her face just like her Mother. I stepped into the room and over to the cradle. I kneeled down next to it and laid a hand in the cradle, running a finger down her face gently.

"You are such a beautiful baby. Marie," I whispered. "I'm going to promise you something. I know you're sleeping and you won't ever remember this, but I'm going to stick with my promise anyway. Whether you choose to be or not to be just like me, I will never force you into changing your mind. Sure I may disagree with it. I may have good reasons and I may have bad reasons, but no matter what I will always hear you out. I will always support you and I will never leave you alone. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You're my miracle, Marie, and I love you so much."

I'll be a man and admit that I started to cry as I made my promise to Marie. I sniffed and stood up to kiss her head gently before I turned to face Elena. I changed into pajama pants before I slid under the blankets.

"Damon?" Elena asked in a tired voice.

"Shhh," I reached out for her and pulled her into my arms gently. She smiled again and laid her head on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. I kissed her head and chuckled when she fell back asleep quickly.

I took a deep breath and laid my head down on the pillow with my eyes closed. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. For once, I had everything. I wasn't the schmuck holding a bottle of bourbon as I stood on the sidelines watching everyone get what I wanted for so long. I had the girl of my dreams. She was lying in my arms, just as happy as I was. I had the perfect baby who was lying in her cradle right next to the bed.

This was the life I had wanted. This was the life I had needed. I finally had it. Pretty fucking awesome, right?

Sigh. That is it. 'A Miracle Unexpected' is complete.

I enjoyed writing this story. It's one of my favorites and I'm so happy that so many of you enjoyed it. I received over five hundred reviews for this story. It was favorited by a little over two hundred people and followed by over three hundred people. To me, that is amazing. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story and those who didn't but still enjoyed it, thank you. It means so much to me!

I'll begin working on my new story soon. It's going to be written by myself and one of my close friends. We are both very excited and we hope you enjoy it.

:)

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.